The UW-Superior baseball team continued its spring trip to Tucson with a doubleheader Tuesday, and the Yellowjackets found the offense of the opposition to be just as hot as the midday Arizona sun, as they dropped a pair of games leading into the team's off day Wednesday.

Game 1
Allegheny 20, Wis.-Superior 6

For the second time on the trip the Yellowjackets found themselves across the field from the Gators of Allegheny College. The first meeting, the season opener for the Yellowjackets, was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Gators rally in the ninth to earn the victory. The second meeting, however, was not as close as the first.

Sunday Allegheny put up four runs in the first inning to start the scoring early. The Gators did the same on this day, scoring four times in the first inning and adding eight more in the second inning, chasing Yellowjacket starter Jonah Lundequam (Cumberland, Wis./Cumberland H.S.) in the process. Allegheny closed out its scoring when they scored eight runs in the top of the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth inning the Yellowjackets got their first home run of the 2017 season, when senior shortstop Chad Patko (Stone Lake, Wis./Hayward H.S.) drove a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left center field. Later in the fourth inning Brandon Rolf (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater H.S.) drove in a run with a base hit and another run scored when Braeden Barr (San Diego, Calif./Grossmount H.S.) reached on an error. The Yellowjackets added their final runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, getting an RBI-single from Patko and a sacrifice fly from Matthew Boyde (Chanhassen, Minn./Minnetonka H.S.).

Patko was the catalyst of the Yellowjacket offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate while driving in two runs and scoring two. Patko also saw some work on the mound, pitching a perfect seventh inning while striking out a pair of Gators. He was one of five Yellowjacket pitchers to see action in the contest.

Game 2
Kalamazoo 12, Wis-Superior 8

In contrast to the first game of the day, scoring was at a premium early in the second game.

Brock McDermid (Pulaski, Wis./Pulaski H.S.) made the start for the Yellowjackets and he got locked into a pitcher's duel early with a pair of Kalamazoo pitchers.

After going scorless through the first four innings Kalamazoo opened the scoring in the top of the fifth, plating a pair of runs. The Yellowjackets answered in a big way in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on the corners and two outs the Yellowjackets scored their first run on a wild pitch that plated Patko. Two hitters later Nick McNosky (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle H.S.) singled through the left side to score Barr and tie the game. After a walk loaded the bases Kyle Bellin (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly H.S.) was hit by a pitch, giving the Yellowjackets a 3-2 lead. Greg Pitts (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel H.S.) then singled in a pair of runs and the Yellowjackets led 5-2 at the end of the inning.

Kalamazoo got two runs back in the top of the sixth to pull to within one run, but the Yellowjackets again had an answer when Patko singled to score Bellin and give the Yellowjackets a 6-4 lead after seven.

The Hornets tied the game with a pair of runs in the eighth inning and then blew the game open in the ninth, scoring six times to open up a 12-6 lead. The Yellowjackets scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth - one on a single by Rolf and another by a sacrifice fly by Patko to make the final score 12-8.

Pitts had a big game at the plate for the Yellowjackets, going 3-for-6 with a pair of runs batted in. Patko had another strong game at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and two runs driven in.

McDermid had a good first outing of the season, going five innings and allowing two runs on six hits. Brady Stocker (River Falls, Wis./River Falls H.S.) came on in relief and pitched two innings before giving way to Barr, who was tagged with the loss, falling to 0-2 on the year.

Up Next
After the Wednesday off day the Yellowjackets (1-4) return to action Thursday with a nine-inning game against Grinnell (Iowa) College. Game time is set for 10:00 a.m. MT.